The economy and policy mood: A fundamental dynamic of democratic politics?

This article aims to establish empirically whether changes in the aggregate policy preferences of voters in western democracies relate systematically to national economic performance. Results from a time-series, cross-section al regression analysis of data on aggregate policy preferences from fourtee n western democracies (1956-1989) support a hypothesis originally suggested . for the American case, by Durr (1993): when the economy expands aggregate policy preferences move left, but when the economy contracts aggregate pol icy preferences move right. This finding sustains the normatively appealing conclusion that change in aggregate policy preference reflects the measure d response of many individuals to changes in their political environment.